"Noah, we have some bad news," James told him. "I just found that my reservoir for the mermaids and sirens was destroyed by someone. Not just damaged, but there was blood on the ground, and the creatures are missing from there. This has raised concern from the authorities on what has been going there."
A look of surprise appeared on Noah's face, and he asked with concern, "What?"
"The reservoir in the East, Noah," James's previous anger appeared on his face, and he didn't look happy. He said, "I cannot believe that something like this could happen. You know how important these treasures are. Mermaids and sirens, and to think I have been waiting for them to mature so I could take a look at it," he huffed.
"How did it even happen?" Noah asked, while acting ignorant about what he had done.
His uncle looked frustrated and said, "That fucking magistrate must have let someone see. He must have not taken care."
"Even if someone entered the place, there are guards guarding it. Maybe the magistrate had something to do with it," Noah blamed the magistrate, who had been eager to eat the mermaid meat when he met him. "He seemed even hungry to take a bite from one of them."
"Fucker," James cursed, and one of his eyes turned gold, while the other stayed black as he couldn't see from it since he was blinded. "I will go take a look at what happened myself. And also make sure the other reservoirs are safely holding the mermaids and sirens. To make sure that they are of use."
"How about I come along with you? Or do I take care of it?" Noah offered, and James gave it some thought before he said,
"Maybe that can be done. The golden moon is approaching nearer and it will show the true nature of that special sea creature whom I have been looking for. All I need to do is drink her blood until the very last drop," James sneered, and he said, "It seems like the Sullivan's have been having bad luck. First the butler and now this news. It must be related. Both of them are related."
Noah should have known that his uncle would figure things out sooner as he wasn't a dumb person. The man has been trying to find the siren-mermaid for some time now.
Noah asked, "How are you going to find her? There are plenty of fish in the sea."
"No matter what, the prophecy says that we Sullivans will meet her. She is bound to die," James said, clenching his jaws. "You are the last descendant of Sullivan. You are meant for great things, Noah. The creature will be put in use."
Noah watched his uncle leave his side, walking inside the mansion, while he continued to stand there with an expressionless face.
He knew that time to choose was approaching quickly, and no matter how much he had tried to keep things peaceful, he wouldn't be able to continue to do it. Was there a way to stop his uncle from causing any harm and breaking the family...
He had successfully freed some of the mermaids, but there was more than one pond where his uncle held the mermaids and sirens. He had always thrived for peace, without any conflicts, and he would find it if there were a way to it.
Walking inside the mansion, which seemed quieter than usual, he went to his room. When he was done washing his face with the cold water, he remembered something. With water still dripping from his face, he walked to his closet and searched for something.
When he didn't find it, he looked unsettled and asked himself, "Where did it go?"
Someone knocked on the closed room, and he said, "Come in."
The person was none other than his mother, who held a quizzical look and asked, "Are you looking for something, Noah?"
Noah murmured, "One of my coats seems to be missing from my room."
"Hm? Which coat? Maybe it has gone to wash," Lady Hilda replied, coming to his side and placing a kiss on her son's cheek.
But the coat had been missing for quite some days now, Noah thought to himself. He then asked, "Did you need something?"
Lady Hilda smiled at her son's question and asked, "Can't a mother come to meet her son to spend some time with him? You have been so busy the past few days. Even missed meals with your family. I was worried that you are overworking yourself."
"I am fine, mother. Work just happened to pile and I have been trying to finish it before the deadline," Noah leaned forward and returned his mother's kiss on her cheek. "There's nothing that you need to worry about."
"Of course, you are my amazing son," Lady Hilda smiled, as she stared at him. When a sliver of worry moved past her expression, he said to her,
"You seem to hold something in your mind."
Lady Hilda shook her head, "Nothing big. I was just worried about what happened to our butler. To go missing so suddenly, and it has left a worry in my heart."
Noah placed his hand on his mother's shoulder and assured her, "There's nothing to worry about, mother. I am sure we'll find him soon, so you should rest easy."
"Mm," she nodded, "You are right. Since the Chambers's family left, the mansion has turned quiet and back to how it has been since the beginning. It is a pity that you both couldn't make it work."
"She will be happier where she is now, that she would be here," Noah replied calmly.
Lady Hilda didn't remark on it, but she then said, "I came to hear something from Lady Marge. That you walked Anaya's friend down the aisle. Didn't know that you were close to her too," there was a slight hint of curiosity in her eyes as she looked for answers, wondering when her son had found the time to be close to the woman.
"She didn't have a male relative and as Anaya was close to her, Anaya wanted me to walk her down," Noah lied through his teeth, and he could tell that something was going on in his mother's mind. "It gives you a good reputation, when you try to help people in public."
Lady Hilda's smile grew and she agreed, "That is true. It is all about the appearance and how we carry ourselves, that brings in respect and power that we yield. But we aren't close to the Moriartys... not particularly nice because of who they are."
"I thought you didn't mind if they are vampires or werewolves until they are from high status," Noah remarked, walking across the room as he picked up a shirt from the closet.
"Oh, I don't. It is just that the Moriarty family leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Lady Hilda replied, taking a look at her son's room and then said, "I hope to see you at supper tonight, Noah. It isn't nice to be missing family time. Hm?" offering a smile to him, she stepped out of the room.
Once his mother left the room. Noah walked to the door and locked it so that no one would come to disturb him. He needed some time for himself to think.
Remembering something, he walked to one of the walls where a painting was fixed. He pulled the painting, behind which was a little vault. Turning the knobs, he opened it and pulled out the documents that were the papers of the town of Brokengroves. The lands there belonged to him, and he wanted to return it to Eve. The house that she once used to live in.
Noah went to his desk and started to write on a fresh parchment, and once he had filled in all the details, he put them in an envelope.
Far away from Skellington and Woodlock, and farther in the West, Anaya Chambers had reached her mansion with her parents a few days ago.
"Milady," two servants knocked on her room door, and she turned and saw them carrying a trunk.
"Finally it is here. I thought the trunk was lost with the carriage. The shoes must be in there," Anaya said, standing up and ordering them, "Bring it in."
The servants stepped inside the room along with the trunk before placing it on the ground. One of the servants opened the trunk and started to look for the shoes before finding it.
"There it is," Anaya said, "You can keep them in the corner. And also have the rest of the things placed back in the cupboard."
While the two servants started to clear the trunk, Anaya's eyes fell on something that didn't belong to her. One of the servants said, "Milady, Mr. Chamber's coat is in here."
Anaya frowned and replied, "That's not father's coat..." Her maid must have thought it belonged to her and had packed it in the trunk before they left. "Give it to me."
"Yes, milady," said the servant before handing the coat to her.
Anaya walked to the other side of the room with the coat and released the breath she had been holding. It was Noah's coat. The coat that he had offered her the night of the soiree, and she had failed to return it.
Though days had passed since she had left Woodlock, the Duke continued to haunt her. Though they had nothing between them apart from the acquaintance-ship which might have turned into being friends, she missed him. But as much as she wanted and had hoped for the man to one day return her affections, not now but at least in the future, she realised it would just be a dream.
Yet at the same time, it was hard to move on with her day, where the memories with him refused to leave her mind.
Anaya gingerly ran her hand down the fabric, feeling the softness under her fingertips until she felt something hard. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she turned the coat around before her hand fished into the pocket. When she pulled it out, she noticed it was a small music box.
"What is this doing in his pocket?" Anaya asked, wondering if it belonged to the Duke, and her lips pursed.
Far away from the borders of the West lands, in the town of Darthmore where the Council was located, Vincent pushed the door open to the Head Council's chamber.
Clayton, who sat behind the desk, remarked,
"Wasn't expecting you to clock into work this soon."
"I am not here for work. Not the one's for the Council at least," Vincent replied and stepped inside the chamber. Clayton's eyes fell on the little shadow that followed the pureblooded vampire. "This is Timotei, my cat."
"I am not your cat!" Timotei snapped back before covering his mouth with his paw.
Timotei had turned into a heavy sleeper that he didn't know when they had reached Skellington and when his majestic self was taken to Darthmore. As he had woken up, he had ended up following Vincent.
Clayton's eyes narrowed, "I didn't know you had a pet. Not one that spoke."
"It's from my previous life," Vincent replied in a nonchalant tone, and Clayton turned slightly confused. "I have a request to make. I need access to the royal castle."
"I can arrange it. Meeting the King and the Queen?" Clayton asked, while his eyes followed the black cat that jumped on the desk and settled as if it was here to discuss with the Head Council.
"Need to dig out a grave and take a look at it," Vincent offered a bright smile, and Clayton wondered what the pureblooded was up to this time.
"I feel I will regret it, if I were to ask you what you are planning right now. Hopefully, everything that is under the law?" Clayton asked Vincent, who nodded with a look of indifference.
"You have such expectations and hope on me, that is very admirable," Vincent remarked, and Clayton's face soured.
"I am even surprised people still have hope on you," Timotei muttered under his breath, while he looked in the other direction.
Clayton looked uncertainly at Vincent and said, "I have a feeling you will be spending your time in the dungeon up in the North."
"Doesn't sound that bad. It has been a while since I last spent time in the dungeon, especially one that is directly handed by the royal family," Vincent joked, and the small looking vampire grimaced.
While Timotei was looking the other way, Clayton had pulled out one of the gloves on his hand and touched the black cat's tail.
"Hey!" Timotei exclaimed with horror on his face and pulled his groomed tail to his chest, "Nobody touches the tail!"
Clayton looked unfazed by the cat's words and said, "There's a touch of sea in him. Is that where he got his voice from? From a sea creature?"
Timotei even though offended, he looked impressed and said, "For a small boy you catch up quickly."
Before Clayton would decide to swing the black cat out of his chambers and Timotei caused a scene, Vincent said, "The earlier the access to the royal castle, the better. I will be travelling up North soon." He stepped out of the chamber with Timotei quickly jumping down from the desk.
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